haiti, one year ago.

a year ago, i was in haiti on what was one of the most life changing trips i've ever been on.

i learned the gospel in a way i had never experienced before.

i saw hurt like i had never seen before.

but i also saw hope.

hope that arose out of ashes and was so beautiful.

on a thursday night, a year ago, our trip experienced the orphan crisis in a real, tangible way. the result? a precious child died and our lives were forever changed by the conviction to live our lives in a way that paves the way for hope, redemption, and life.i don't know how to sum up that experience except to say that when you hold a child in your arms who has no mother or father and has been malnourished for all of its life you begin to see that the gospel requires more than our words.

the precious little boy that i held that thursday night, made me feel like a mother for a few hours and God used him to teach me what love requires. i saw through one of my dearest friends, stacy, a deep resolve to fight for a child who no one would fight for her. neither a threat of jail nor man's opinion kept her from doing what she knew Jesus had gifted her to do.

i will never be the same because of that thursday night and honestly that is the best thing that could have come from that trip. i want to be more like stacy in how i fight for the least of these because i think that's exactly what Jesus would have done too. on this thursday, a year later, i hung out with her, blanca, and katelyn. we laughed a lot and remembered. it was good for my soul and even a year later, i'm going to sleep grateful for all He has done.

to God be the glory.